1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, system and computer-readable recording medium for providing image data. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, system and computer-readable recording medium that can store image data in association with orientation information and provide information of a region associated with a direction corresponding to a search keyword is when a user inputs the search keyword to search for image data.
2. Discussion of the Background
With recent increase in use of the Internet and distribution of global positioning system (GPS) receivers, geographical information such as maps and the like is supplied to a user generally in the form of digital data which replaces traditional printed matter such as books or the like.
Digital geographical information is generally supplied through an electronic map service via the Internet, a navigation system equipped to vehicles, and the like. Advantageously, the digital geographical information is often coupled to a user interface module having a retrieval function to provide various conveniences to a user. Further, when there is a need to change the geographical information, it can be easily updated through remote operation or the like, so that the digital geographical information is preferable to conventional printed matter because it can be easily kept current and up-to-date.
Conventionally, however, service providers for digital geographical information provide electronic map screens coupled to retrieval interfaces and operated to display a simple combination of marks. Since information displayed on the electronic map screens is remarkably different from an actual image of a place corresponding to the information, it is difficult to confirm the actual image of the corresponding place based on the information.
Therefore, in an attempt to solve such a problem, US Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0143727, filed on Nov. 8, 2007 and published on Jun. 19, 2008, discloses a technique for an electronic map service, which provides a panoramic image, corresponding to a particular place on an electronic map, to a user. Accordingly, the user can confirm an actual image of the particular place on the electronic map based on the panoramic is image.
Generally, a panoramic picture is generated by connecting several partitioned pictures to each other and provides an image that allows a person to see a wide view extending in the lateral direction. Accordingly, considering the current technical state of display devices such as monitors and the like, it is difficult to regenerate the whole image of the panoramic picture with a suitable resolution on a user terminal unit.
For such reasons, service providers of panoramic pictures may allow only part of the panoramic picture to be preferentially displayed on the user terminal unit rather than allowing the entirety of the panoramic picture to be displayed thereon, such that a desired region of the panoramic picture is displayed on the screen of the terminal unit in response to an input signal through a mouse or the like under user control.
Accordingly, even with the technique disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0143727, a conventional system does not provide a target region of the panoramic picture, which includes a geographical feature or object a user wishes to confirm, such that the target region is immediately displayed on the user terminal unit, and requires the user to adjust the screen so as to display the target region of the panoramic picture after searching for a certain region of the panoramic picture.
Such a problem of the conventional system causes user inconvenience in the case where the user does not have any information about the geographical feature or object that the user wishes to confirm.